About the Norland Educare Research Journal
View inaugural issue
The Norland Educare Research Journal is an international double-blind peer-reviewed journal published by Norland annually and online only.
It is a genuine academic ground-roots initiative intended to give voice to researchers of high calibre whose work is under-represented in the field of home-based early childhood education and care (educare) and provide a home to experienced and new researchers. It is a fully open access journal, offering free of charge publication to researchers and authors and free access to papers for readers, reflecting Norland’s commitment to democratise knowledge dissemination.
The Norland Educare Research Journal aims to bring together existing research on home-based educare and, at the same time, to encourage further knowledge production in the field. It provides a medium for disseminating research that reflects international and global perspectives on professional practices and policies concerning home-based educare. It is unique among the existing publications in the field of early childhood, as it focuses on research aimed at advancing and enhancing the knowledge base for professional practices and policies, beyond institutional/centre-based childcare.
Funded by Norland Foundation, the journal is a tribute to the legacy of the educational pioneer Emily Ward, the founder of Norland, who recognised the significance of educare. Emily Ward viewed education and care as indistinguishable ingredients of childcare, arguing that young children should be cared for by trained tutors and that their care should be more structured, centred around the child and offered in a loving and nurturing environment. After founding Norland in 1892, Emily Ward regularly published the Norland Quarterly. The Norland Educare Research Journal, is an extension of Emily Ward’s original visionary publication, addressing home-based childcare which remains a relatively under-researched area in comparison to centre-based childcare.
Scope and aim of the Norland Educare Research Journal
The scope of the Norland Educare Research Journal is to deepen iterations of established early childhood discourses, practices and policies, and to construct situated knowledge on home-based educare of local significance and global relevance. The journal is intended to provide multiple perspectives and alternative views, broadening the knowledge space on home-based professional practices, policies, and workforce training.
The journal welcomes papers exploring contemporary issues pertaining to the childcare of young children, but it aims to publish papers that offer different, alternative, and unique perspectives to the established discourse and convey thought leadership substantiated by rigorous and credible research, and argumentation. It allows both experienced and new researchers to disseminate their research through a journal which has a distinct thematic focus on the interplay of care and education.
Values and commitment
The journal adheres to the principles of respect, dignity, autonomy, and privacy of individuals; research integrity; and researcher responsibility for societal advancement and benefit. It is committed to:
- high-quality, credible and trustworthy research
- evidence-based and research-informed professional practice and policy
- democratising knowledge generation and dissemination to best serve the most precious and important members of our society – the children.
With the launch of the journal, the editors of the journal wish to be aspirational, creative, and innovative, whilst maintaining the rigour required in published research. The editors are particularly interested in disseminating learning stories co-constructed by practitioners, policy makers, researchers, and caregivers.
Thematic focus
The journal accepts papers that consider the interplay of care and education from discipline-specific or interdisciplinary perspectives such as child psychology, sociology, philosophy, economy, policy, health, education, caring professions, neuroscience and neurobiology. Submitted papers may address topics such as:
- characteristics and quality of home-based educare; parents’/guardians’ motivations for home-based educare; policy and regulation of home-based educare
- training, qualifications and continuing professional development of home-based educarers
- breastfeeding, weaning and child nutrition; child health and vaccination; sleeping and sleep problems; routines and self-regulation; wellbeing, mental health and behaviour; early stimulation and brain development; emotionality, rationality and relationality
- family, and intergenerational educare practices; deprivation; postnatal depression; toxic stress; disability, special educational needs and inclusion; culture, language and family literacy; immigration/forced migration; trauma and resilience
- research with children and parents and guardians; professional and research ethics
- new and innovative research methodologies, involving children and families
- advances in disciplines such as neuroscience and neurobiology and their implications for young children’s educare
- contemporary global and local challenges (e.g., climate change and natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, local conflicts and global warfare) and their impact on young children’s development and wellbeing, and on provision of educare.
This is not an exhaustive list and papers concerning relevant topics are welcome.
Papers submitted for publication should follow the Information and Instructions for authors and the journal policies.
Call for papers
We have an ongoing open call for papers and we are interested in proposals for special issues with a distinct thematic focus. Should you be interested in submitting a paper or discussing a special issue, please contact [email protected].
Book reviews
Academics, students, and early years educators are invited to submit book reviews of publications relevant to home-based educare, research, teaching and learning, and professional practice. The book review editors are keen to invite authors to write double reviews of the same book (i.e., two reviews, one conducted by an academic and one by a student, or other pairings, such as an academic and a practitioner, or a student and a practitioner).
We ask that book reviews are 500-750 words long and provide succinct and comprehensive information concerning:
- Book overview (e.g. introduction to the topic of the book and why it matters, whether the book is based on research and/or is study/practice-oriented, the author and their credentials, the intended readership of the book, i.e., academics, students professional etc)
- Brief synopsis of the book, outlining chapters and/or key themes
- Critical evaluation concerning the strengths of the book, any issues omitted, and suggestions for elements that would have benefitted from further exploration, with the reviewer stating their stance
- Concluding thoughts with clear recommendations be it for academics, students, or practitioners (e.g. to read the book, use it as a reference or main/supplementary text)
All book reviews are peer reviewed. If you are interested in providing a review, please contact us at: [email protected]
